Six EUTOPIA Researchers Awarded ERC Consolidator Grants

The European Research Council has announced the results of the 2025 Consolidator Grant competition, selecting 349 mid-career researchers for a total of €728 million in funding. These highly competitive grants support established researchers as they strengthen their teams and advance ambitious, frontier-led projects.

This year, six researchers from EUTOPIA universities secured funding — a strong result that highlights the alliance’s growing research strength across disciplines and institutions.

Here are the EUTOPIA Consolidator Grant Awardees: 

• Frederik DHONDT — Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  • Project Title: The Labyrinth of Treaties, 1712-1763'. International Law Behind the Scenes of Early Enlightenment Diplomacy
• Jerónimo CASTRILLÓN MAZO — Technische Universität Dresden
  • Project Title: COMpilers for ExTreme Heterogeneity
• Macarena GARCIA — Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona
  • Project Title: Literary reading, public libraries, young people, and inclusive democracies
• Gergely NEU — Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona
  • Project Title: Algorithmic Uncertainty Quantification for Learning and Decision Making
• Libera PISANO — Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona
  • Project Title: Translation as a Philosophical Lens on German-Jewish Thought 
• Clare BLENCOWE — University of Warwick
  • Project Title: Religious Authority in Extractive Industry Struggles

The ERC received 3,121 applications for this round, a 35% increase from the previous year, making it one of the most competitive calls to date. Only about 11% of proposals were funded. Consolidator Grants support researchers with 7–12 years of experience after their PhD, giving them the resources to pursue high-risk ideas, grow their teams, and consolidate their scientific independence.

EUTOPIA congratulates all six awardees and their host institutions for this important achievement.

You can read the official ERC announcement on the ERC website.